japan (part 1) ..

Hello, it’s been long i have not write any updates here. So here my latest journey with family accross continent (within Asia). It’s a trip accompany my dear sent by her company to their East Asia headquarter in Japan.

22 September
– ANA arrive at Narita International Airport Terminal 1, meet some “bule” offered us to take our photo. Thank god we got special immigration line for family with baby, luggage ready to grab, exchange wifi rental, exchange JR Pass and head downstair.
– Take NEX to Tokyo Station, transfer to Shinombashi Line to get close to Horidome Villa Hotel, it’s rain hard we finally take a cab to hotel. And it still at basic 410 yen (open door rate), and met Teh Febi (my wife family live in japan with japan husband). Take a peek at Family Mart, eat late the sleep.

23 September
– Breakfast at room, morning walk around hotel, walk to Horidome childrem park nearby, go to Aeon minimart, it’s cheaper dan Family mart and complete. Back to hotel, ready checkout and grab a taxi 1460 yen to Tokyo station.
– Exchange JR Pass reserve ticket mistaken Kanazawa to Kuraizawa (in the end we decide to drop at middle, on Takasaki station) to hop then switch to Shinkansen to Kanazawa.
– Eat light food at Takasaki, exchange JR Pass for reserved Shinkansen to Kanazawa. Right on, as we arrive at Kanazawa we hop to JR Thunderbird to Osaka exactly at 17.33 they are on time.
– Arrive in Osaka around 20.30 in a weird station merged with big LUACA mall and apartment. Trying find meal for late nite snack, but stumbleupon problem with Halal food since everything writen in kanji. Bismillah

24 September
– Start early breakfast at airbnb room, depart around 9am go to nearest Sakoranonuya station, then go connecting to Namba station to pick Osaka amazing pass at OCAt visitor information center. Stumble a leaflet of wonderful Osaka loop bus, we asked about where they poll. Go to Namba parks which around 10min by walk, hence we tag baby along these could take more than that.
– Before that wife tryin hard to find Halal restaurant in the city within range of our routes, then she find a local shop with ramen speciality. We arrive there but it open in 11.30 still an hour to go, so while then we go around nearby to find alternatives with no luck. We stumbleupon a 100 yen shop and we luckily find some useful stuff.
– After lunch we headed back to Namba parks, but the bus has just left, the next is about an hour. Then we stroll in to Namba mall entry near the hub and find keenan drink straw bottle. We rush to go back and find the bus. I thought i can use my picked Osaka amazing pass on this ride. But it is not, we have to pay each 3000 yen pax just to wonder the city on a open top bus, we picked seat at top. Drop at osaka castle then to try look at the historical castle.
– After that, wife suggest to astroll to USJ if theres enough time left, so we went to nearest Moronomiya station to have direct Osaka loop train to Universal city station. We arrive and stroll around the site, pick some on gift store. Then after wondering for an hour we went home back to homestay. This one we pick Osaka loopline or its counterpart that have a direct line which we don’t have to transit. We arrive around 20.00 at homestay, step by in Lawson to buy some instant rice for breakfast, we still have rendang in refrigerator. Take some rest, tomorrow back to Tokyo, stop for a brief in Kyoto to visit iconic Furishima Inara temple.

25 September
– We woke up early prepare everything for checkout, today trip Osaka back to Tokyo. Wife added plan to step by Kyoto and visit iconic Furishima Inara temple. Thank god we have less luggage to stroll. Ride a local loop from Sakuranomiya to Osaka station, arrive in Osaka station switch platform to JR thundervird bound to Kanazawa which later continue it with Shinkanses Hokuriku.
– ā€ˇArrive in Kyoto station around 12.00 pm switch train to local loop to Inara station. Well thats hell of a crowd, a lot of tourist went this way. The temple just accross the station, and step in with elevated street. With stair, along with disablity cart access but some are not. I have to climb and drag this mid size suitcase and leave it nearby (alhamdulillah) near a shrine. The Inara iconic colored orange pilar is many section pilar. We chose to climb stair 1 phase only. It is up to the top of Inara mountain. I pick a suggested souvenir, a good luck coin charm and tribute 500 yen honestly as rated individually to the coin box and pick 1 (the host are watching accross the both for the honesty of traveler to tribute and pick 1). Then go down stair pick some on gift shop, back to inara station and switch back to Kyoto station to switch agaian to JR Thunderbird bound for Kanazawa.
– Ride an unreserved seat in JR Thunderbird our seat is split half way, cause the train pretty pack, no one standing but the train is full for non reserved seat, about half way to Kanazawa we reunite in same seat row again. Arrive in Kanazawa, stroll while to find meal that look and stated Halal ingredient for the least is foremost important. No luck we head back in, try to reserved a seat with our JR pass but the ticket office long queue line made us decide to go straight to unreserved car seat, hopefully got vacant 3 row seat, alhamdulillah we does (we step by 7 eleven before to pick some snack for ride). For leave by Kokuriku Shinkansen bound to Tokyo
– ā€ˇArrive in Tokyo around 18.30, cause we pretty tired we decide to just ride a taxi to the airbnb stay in Shinjuku. Before that pick big luggage, try buy a Halal meal in suggested restaurant in Tokyo station, but it sold out, maybe luck later. We just asked them is there any no buta/pork meal and no mirin, they suggest us chicken, i pick 2 to take out (yes here they use take out instead take away). Arrive in airbnb stay it was nice location across intersection with porch, and fully furnishes apartment near asia superstore and above sushi zanmai restaurant (no halal).

26 September
– We start early woke up, plan for today is Disneyland Tokyo. We gonna spend most of the day here, which eventuallly ended up to 20.00 hrs. We use nearby Shin-Okubo station, to ride a Yamanote line to go to Maihama station where it connect to Disney station local loop monorail. My reserve park ticket is valid for 1 park so we pick Disney sea. A monorail ticket require a Disney station monorail ticket 260 yen each. So its 520 yen for me and wife.
– ā€ˇWe enter the gate, scan the QR code and we in. Head up to the lagoon park to find some food station, feed keenan his lunch meal and wife pick a package meal for 2, a rice, spaghetti, panacotta, fruit cocktail and tea. For 1200 yen. Watch the atraction of Mickey and friends dancing in halloween theme above their ship in lake. Stroll round, ride an amazing western boat, watch another mickey nearby ports of sea, ride a cruise ship and take another rest in park. Buy some cute gift in store. Wife trying to ride a gondola but it seem it kept delay schedule. Cause another show is comimg we going back to Shin Okubo for Maihama around 20.00 hrs, pick a Nasco briyani fish and chicken nearby Shin okubo station.